user
Describe the events of the European colonization of the Americas.


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The European colonization of the Americas began with Christopher Columbus arriving in the Caribbean in 1492. The arrival of Europeans initiated a period of large-scale colonization and exploitation of the land, with unprecedented effects on the indigenous populations. Colonization led to the spread of European diseases, the establishment of plantations and colonies, the displacement and exploitation of native populations, the enslavement of African people, and the importation of millions of enslaved Africans.